There are various types of electrical power monitoring devices on the market today. These include a number of units which operate as an automatic meter reading (AMR) device or which work in conjunction with an AMR device. Such devices were typically developed as a cost saving method for the collection of data for electrical service providers but have provided little usability to the consumer. In cases where consumers have been given some features through AMR systems, there has not been an ability to reliably monitor and control power use while maintaining a comfortable environment.
Controlling the amount of electricity use is advantageous both for the electric utility provider and for the consumer. The utility company can avoid building costly new power plan ts and consumers can avoid excess power costs. In order for proper control to be facilitated, however, it must be done in a manner that provides a comfortable environment for the user. In the present invention, a means and device are shown that provide monitoring and control of power consumption in a manner that may be used by and provide benefit to both the utility service provider and the user.
A number of methods and systems exist for the monitoring or control of electric power. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,764, Lee shows a system for measuring the amount of power use for an individual device. While such an invention is useful to measure segments of power use, for example, washer, dryer, air conditioning, heating, etc, it does little to give a user the ability to understand their total power consumption and their usage patterns. Further it provides no means cohesively view multiple devices or multiple locations.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,618,707, Sneeringer shows a method of monitoring multiple locations in a global fashion. By monitoring complete facilities such a whole houses or buildings, a user is able to see their power consumption. Further, as a global method, a utility company may view aggregate amounts of power consumption from multiple locations. However, no control means are shown as a way to reduce actual power consumption to the user's and provider's mutual benefit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,791 Perez shows a system that provides control of power use by the utility provider. However, this system does not allow control by a user and may allow the utility to take actions unwise to the user's condition. For example it may allow the utility to turn off air conditioning when vitally necessary. Further, the system does not provide direct feed back to the user for their benefit.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,389, Davis et. al. shows a system that provides utility service providers with the ability to prevent overloading a grid when controlling power consumption of remote users. This system does little to provide feedback to a consumer and contains no ability to take actions based on dynamic events.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,429,642 Rodilla Sala shows a system that provides utility consumers with a certain form of usage control. However, this system uses a single set point for instantaneous or time-based usage control. As such, when that limit is reached, the system must take an action, assumedly, to shut off power. Thus the system provides a management function but only at the point when a single target amount of usage is reached. Once that target amount is reached, the system reacts to that singular event. Thus system does not provide continuous management in order to achieve a target, nor does it do so while maintaining a comfortable environment.